Change Docker’s Data Storage Location on Linux

TUTORIAL

📘 Overview

By default, Docker stores all its images, containers, and volumes under the directory /var/lib/docker.
However, you might want to move this directory to another drive or partition — for example:

  • Free up space on your system drive
  • Use a faster SSD
  • Keep Docker data separate from the OS

This guide explains how to safely change Docker’s storage path for native Linux installations (not Docker Desktop).

🧭 Table of Contents

  1. Stop Docker Service
  2. Copy Existing Data (Optional)
  3. Configure Docker Daemon
  4. Reload and Restart Docker
  5. Verify the Change
  6. Important Notes

Stop Docker Service

Before making any changes, stop the Docker daemon to avoid data corruption:

sudo systemctl stop docker

Copy Existing Data (Optional)

If you already have Docker images, containers, or volumes you want to keep, copy them to the new location:

sudo rsync -aP /var/lib/docker/ /path/to/new/docker/root/

🗂️ Replace /path/to/new/docker/root/ with your desired directory, e.g. /mnt/data/docker.

Configure Docker Daemon

Edit or create the Docker daemon configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/docker/daemon.json

Add or modify the following line:

{
  "data-root": "/path/to/new/docker/root"
}

Reload and Restart Docker

Once configured, reload the system daemon and restart Docker:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start docker

Verify the Change

Check that Docker is now using the new directory:

docker info | grep "Docker Root Dir"

You should see the path you configured earlier.

⚠️ Important Notes

🧾 Permissions

Ensure the new directory is owned by root and has proper permissions:

sudo chown -R root:root /path/to/new/docker/root

💾 Disk Space

Select a disk or partition with enough space for your Docker data.

🧰 Backup

Always back up important Docker data before making major configuration changes.